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Cursed Kingdoms #1
Ash and Snow
You thought Snow White was the victim?
Maleath Snow is on the run. The King is dead, and the Evil Queen is not at all pleased.
When the King met his end, Snow’s conviction never wavered, for the times are dark and justice must be stolen.
Now the Evil Queen must die too.
To reclaim the White Throne, Snow will need the help of The Seven, a posse of mercenary Mages with a secret hideout in the woods. Her search will lead her to meet Ashton Thorne, Prince and heir of the kingdom of Thorn Hall.
Together, Snow, Ash, and The Seven will embark on a dangerous adventure to defeat the Evil Queen.
As the last flame of hope is extinguished, darkness calls for desperate measures to be taken.
Will Snow’s claim to the White Throne prevail?
Dark fantasy, steamy shifter romance, and magical mayhem clash in this thrilling fast-paced Snow White retelling!
This is a dark and steamy Snow White retelling featuring an anti-hero and a strong heroine. This is an allies-to-friends-to-lovers and fated mates story suitable for 18+. Ash and Snow is the first book in the Cursed Kingdom series and the story will continue through future books.
Books in this series include:
Ash and Snow
Steel and Stone
Cinders and Blood
Fur and Thorns
Maleath Snow is on the run. The King is dead, and the Evil Queen is not at all pleased.
When the King met his end, Snow’s conviction never wavered, for the times are dark and justice must be stolen.
Now the Evil Queen must die too.
To reclaim the White Throne, Snow will need the help of The Seven, a posse of mercenary Mages with a secret hideout in the woods. Her search will lead her to meet Ashton Thorne, Prince and heir of the kingdom of Thorn Hall.
Together, Snow, Ash, and The Seven will embark on a dangerous adventure to defeat the Evil Queen.
As the last flame of hope is extinguished, darkness calls for desperate measures to be taken.
Will Snow’s claim to the White Throne prevail?
Dark fantasy, steamy shifter romance, and magical mayhem clash in this thrilling fast-paced Snow White retelling!
This is a dark and steamy Snow White retelling featuring an anti-hero and a strong heroine. This is an allies-to-friends-to-lovers and fated mates story suitable for 18+. Ash and Snow is the first book in the Cursed Kingdom series and the story will continue through future books.
Books in this series include:
Ash and Snow
Steel and Stone
Cinders and Blood
Fur and Thorns
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2022
176 people are currently reading
1666 people want to read
About the author
Silvana G. Sánchez
43 books304 followers
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Silvana G. Sánchez weaves tales of forbidden love and redemption. Her pen blurs the lines between good and evil, writing compelling heroes and irresistible villains with a heart of gold.
She lives her own happily ever after with her dashing prince, Eric, and darling son, David, in their home in the mystical city of Guadalajara, Mexico.
Don’t be afraid to drop her a line. She doesn't bite. Not always, anyway.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
August 23, 2022
In 'Ash & Snow', Maleath Snow is a princess on the run after the Evil Queen has blamed Snow for the Kings murder. Snow runs into "The Seven"--a group of mercenary mages, who decide to take her in and protect her as well as try to get revenge on the Evil Queen.
I absolutely adore a good fantasy retelling and when I read the blurb for this one, it sounded like something I'd devour... however this one went south for me very, very quickly.
Minor Spoiler this happens in chapters 1 & 2 sooo I swear it's a minor spoiler but:
Why was my girl Snow hookin' up with Prince Phillip... as in AURORA'S Prince Phillip?!? She goes on to explain how she knows Aurora is cursed and Phillip can easily wake her but instead she's out here ridin' this man like Seabiscuit
That whole scene added nothing to the story but made me dislike Snow right off the bat.
Aside from the very gross adulterous sex scene we open this novel off with, the writing style is absolutely not for me.
This truly felt like I was reading a YA book... but with graphic sex thrown in. There's so much describing of what someone is doing with their hands, but then very little description of the world around them. & the language repetition? if I never see the word "countenance" again, I won't complain.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens in exchange for my honest review.
I absolutely adore a good fantasy retelling and when I read the blurb for this one, it sounded like something I'd devour... however this one went south for me very, very quickly.
Minor Spoiler this happens in chapters 1 & 2 sooo I swear it's a minor spoiler but:
Why was my girl Snow hookin' up with Prince Phillip... as in AURORA'S Prince Phillip?!? She goes on to explain how she knows Aurora is cursed and Phillip can easily wake her but instead she's out here ridin' this man like Seabiscuit
That whole scene added nothing to the story but made me dislike Snow right off the bat.
Aside from the very gross adulterous sex scene we open this novel off with, the writing style is absolutely not for me.
This truly felt like I was reading a YA book... but with graphic sex thrown in. There's so much describing of what someone is doing with their hands, but then very little description of the world around them. & the language repetition? if I never see the word "countenance" again, I won't complain.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens in exchange for my honest review.
August 15, 2022
I thank the author and Booksirens for ARC and it's my honest review.
Ash and Snow is the retelling of Snow White and it's book one in the series.
4- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
0.5- 🌶️
~ Snow White retelling
~ Action paced
~ Magic and Portals
~ Cursed Prince
~ Runaway Princess
~ Seven Mages
~ Evil Queen
~ Death magic
~ No cliffhanger
~ Check TWs
Maleath Snow is the runaway princess because she was blamed for her father's death. The Evil Queen wants Snow's heart to lift her curse so she used dark magic and raised deaths to hunt Snow. On her way, she meet a cursed prince who was cursed by the Evil Queen. She also found the legend of Seven Mages and asked them to defeat the Evil Queen for one and all. Soon Snow learns the truth of the Evil Queen and about her true curse.
The story has same characters from original but completely different with world building, unique creatures, magic and mayhem. It was quick, shifter fantasy romance and you could finish the book in not more than 4 hours.
The plot was fast, action paced, romance with a pinch of spicy, twists and turns, thrilling, cursed and especially banters. The book was really intriguing and enjoyable. There are some sad moments in the end but you'd understand the reason behind it.
What i loved most was the characters and the world. It was quite a imagination. We get some funny moments here and there, some heated glazes, and jealous scene.
There are four books in the series. First one releases on October 25. Upcoming books would be setting in same world but with the different leads.
Ash and Snow is the retelling of Snow White and it's book one in the series.
4- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
0.5- 🌶️
~ Snow White retelling
~ Action paced
~ Magic and Portals
~ Cursed Prince
~ Runaway Princess
~ Seven Mages
~ Evil Queen
~ Death magic
~ No cliffhanger
~ Check TWs
Maleath Snow is the runaway princess because she was blamed for her father's death. The Evil Queen wants Snow's heart to lift her curse so she used dark magic and raised deaths to hunt Snow. On her way, she meet a cursed prince who was cursed by the Evil Queen. She also found the legend of Seven Mages and asked them to defeat the Evil Queen for one and all. Soon Snow learns the truth of the Evil Queen and about her true curse.
The story has same characters from original but completely different with world building, unique creatures, magic and mayhem. It was quick, shifter fantasy romance and you could finish the book in not more than 4 hours.
The plot was fast, action paced, romance with a pinch of spicy, twists and turns, thrilling, cursed and especially banters. The book was really intriguing and enjoyable. There are some sad moments in the end but you'd understand the reason behind it.
What i loved most was the characters and the world. It was quite a imagination. We get some funny moments here and there, some heated glazes, and jealous scene.
There are four books in the series. First one releases on October 25. Upcoming books would be setting in same world but with the different leads.
September 8, 2022
Two stars ☆☆
I love fairytale retellings, but this one didn't hit the mark for me. It's a classic "Snow tries to defeat the evil king" trope.
It seemed like it was more geared towards young adults- but there are sex scenes. I honestly can't even remember most of the book now that I'm finished, it was that predictable and boring.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love fairytale retellings, but this one didn't hit the mark for me. It's a classic "Snow tries to defeat the evil king" trope.
It seemed like it was more geared towards young adults- but there are sex scenes. I honestly can't even remember most of the book now that I'm finished, it was that predictable and boring.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 30, 2022
I have no idea what the original fairytale is so please understand if I sound ignorant.
This retelling is of Maleath and Ashton. Maleath escapes her kingdom to hid out in the Fae world across the river. However her trek isn't an easy one. Once across, she meets all manner of supernaturals and a legend or two. There are beautiful black unicorns, one stunning white one, mages, pixies, an owl shifter and more. Oh, I can't forget Griffin tears. Those are very, very important.
Maleath mets Ashton first and he has a backstory that actually involves the same person as Maleath 's backstory. This was a true roller-coaster ride of emotions for me. One minute your down then you're up. It has drama, intrigue, sexual tension, some giggles and even though it does have a HEA, it's bittersweet.
This was a fantastic read and I'm so glad I gave it a shot! It's just as good as Silvana Sánchez's Unnatural Brethren series and her Vesely Academy series
This retelling is of Maleath and Ashton. Maleath escapes her kingdom to hid out in the Fae world across the river. However her trek isn't an easy one. Once across, she meets all manner of supernaturals and a legend or two. There are beautiful black unicorns, one stunning white one, mages, pixies, an owl shifter and more. Oh, I can't forget Griffin tears. Those are very, very important.
Maleath mets Ashton first and he has a backstory that actually involves the same person as Maleath 's backstory. This was a true roller-coaster ride of emotions for me. One minute your down then you're up. It has drama, intrigue, sexual tension, some giggles and even though it does have a HEA, it's bittersweet.
This was a fantastic read and I'm so glad I gave it a shot! It's just as good as Silvana Sánchez's Unnatural Brethren series and her Vesely Academy series
August 20, 2022
Life has failed us. It came in the dead of night and sank its fangs deep in our throats...” The corner of his mouth lightly curled as he added, “We’re just biting back.”
I would like to thank Booksirens and the author for giving me an e-arc. I am giving my review voluntarily and honestly.
Maleath Snow had lost everything in one night. It all stated with her father marrying the evil queen. After isolating Snow, the evil queen tried to take her heart, after almost succeeding, her father was able to step in and save the day, that was until he met his end. After fleeing her kingdom, she eventually ran into who she believed to the the seven mages. Will she be able to rise up and take the evil queen off the throne or will evil finally get its way?
I want to start off by saying that this story just wasn’t for me. I really liked the blurb, but after starting I felt like this was made for more younger audiences, but there was some adult content so it’s a bit confusing to me. The relationships between all the characters seemed to fall flat. There was no tension or building when it came to any of the friendships that Snow had with the seven. The same with the romantic interest. It was instant love so it was very unsatisfying to me. I’m honestly very disappointed because I was so excited for this book.
All and all, I had higher hopes for this. I ended up having to fight through finishing this book right around when I got halfway through. Maybe if the steamy scenes were removed, this book would be great for teens, but for me who is twenty-four, I did not enjoy it. The story was too predictable and cliche. I also felt like there was little to no building when it came to the characters. There was some great world building, I just wish I was able to connect with this character’s more so that way I can root for them.
I would like to thank Booksirens and the author for giving me an e-arc. I am giving my review voluntarily and honestly.
Maleath Snow had lost everything in one night. It all stated with her father marrying the evil queen. After isolating Snow, the evil queen tried to take her heart, after almost succeeding, her father was able to step in and save the day, that was until he met his end. After fleeing her kingdom, she eventually ran into who she believed to the the seven mages. Will she be able to rise up and take the evil queen off the throne or will evil finally get its way?
I want to start off by saying that this story just wasn’t for me. I really liked the blurb, but after starting I felt like this was made for more younger audiences, but there was some adult content so it’s a bit confusing to me. The relationships between all the characters seemed to fall flat. There was no tension or building when it came to any of the friendships that Snow had with the seven. The same with the romantic interest. It was instant love so it was very unsatisfying to me. I’m honestly very disappointed because I was so excited for this book.
All and all, I had higher hopes for this. I ended up having to fight through finishing this book right around when I got halfway through. Maybe if the steamy scenes were removed, this book would be great for teens, but for me who is twenty-four, I did not enjoy it. The story was too predictable and cliche. I also felt like there was little to no building when it came to the characters. There was some great world building, I just wish I was able to connect with this character’s more so that way I can root for them.
November 13, 2022
I received this book an as ARC, all opinions are my own
I enjoyed Snow's relationship with Ash and how they developed. I liked how the Seven accepted her and looked out for her. I wish the relationships had been better explored and worked with the reader instead of the baseline characteristics. On review, I think the book was have been better if it had been a new adult book instead of a YA book so the spicy scenes and the violent scenes could have been explored further and described better without the constraints of YA
I enjoyed Snow's relationship with Ash and how they developed. I liked how the Seven accepted her and looked out for her. I wish the relationships had been better explored and worked with the reader instead of the baseline characteristics. On review, I think the book was have been better if it had been a new adult book instead of a YA book so the spicy scenes and the violent scenes could have been explored further and described better without the constraints of YA
August 31, 2022
I don't want to write this review, I'll be honest here. I like to support indie authors. I like to read all sorts of books. I love trashy books. I love classics. I love all manners of escapism. I did not like anything about this book. I tried but I have failed.
Conceptually, I really had high hopes. The retelling itself is overdone, true, but the blurb for this book left me intrigued. The first two chapters set the tone of a princess with a questionable moral code and slight attitude problem. I had hoped this was going to make way for a fierce and morally gray heroine but that dream was quickly squashed. Snow was unlikeable and more than unlikeable she was bland. There really was nothing redeemable about her character. She was a love struck, whimpering damsel that bumbled through each page of conflict until a man rescued her. I thought we had moved on from these female characters. Women written by women should not feel so archaic.
Meeting the mage, I also had hopes of a grand magic system and bold personalities but....that also didn't happen. Snow explains that 'the Seven' are a rouge group of powerful mages....but they never use magic. You meet them all in a rush and at no time do you really get the chance to know their personalities or stories (which is a true tragedy because there is an extraordinary amount of potential in this idea).
Which leads me to the villain, another very powerful magical entity....who also rarely uses magic. I won't spoil what happens with the Evil Queen here but the book is predictable. Another opportunity lost, IMO.
I wanted to DNF this book early on and kept reading because I was provided with the opportunity to review this as an ARC and I wanted to be able to find something in this book that would allow me (and others) to find potential in this series. I could not find anything, however.
The spice was meager, the prose was clunky and repetitive, often pulling me out of the book (y'all shiver A LOT) and the characters never develop.
As an aside, I found this book marketing incredibly misleading. The tags associated with it were fantasy romance, shifter romance, steamy romance, strong woman romance, dark fantasy, fae romance and antihero. It is a stretch to put this in any of those categories. I truly think this book would have been better classified as a YA novel (and with some heavy editing applied).
Kudos to anyone who enjoyed the book, it, unfortunately, was not for me.
I received an advance review copy for free in exchange for my honest review
Conceptually, I really had high hopes. The retelling itself is overdone, true, but the blurb for this book left me intrigued. The first two chapters set the tone of a princess with a questionable moral code and slight attitude problem. I had hoped this was going to make way for a fierce and morally gray heroine but that dream was quickly squashed. Snow was unlikeable and more than unlikeable she was bland. There really was nothing redeemable about her character. She was a love struck, whimpering damsel that bumbled through each page of conflict until a man rescued her. I thought we had moved on from these female characters. Women written by women should not feel so archaic.
Meeting the mage, I also had hopes of a grand magic system and bold personalities but....that also didn't happen. Snow explains that 'the Seven' are a rouge group of powerful mages....but they never use magic. You meet them all in a rush and at no time do you really get the chance to know their personalities or stories (which is a true tragedy because there is an extraordinary amount of potential in this idea).
Which leads me to the villain, another very powerful magical entity....who also rarely uses magic. I won't spoil what happens with the Evil Queen here but the book is predictable. Another opportunity lost, IMO.
I wanted to DNF this book early on and kept reading because I was provided with the opportunity to review this as an ARC and I wanted to be able to find something in this book that would allow me (and others) to find potential in this series. I could not find anything, however.
The spice was meager, the prose was clunky and repetitive, often pulling me out of the book (y'all shiver A LOT) and the characters never develop.
As an aside, I found this book marketing incredibly misleading. The tags associated with it were fantasy romance, shifter romance, steamy romance, strong woman romance, dark fantasy, fae romance and antihero. It is a stretch to put this in any of those categories. I truly think this book would have been better classified as a YA novel (and with some heavy editing applied).
Kudos to anyone who enjoyed the book, it, unfortunately, was not for me.
I received an advance review copy for free in exchange for my honest review
June 23, 2023
I really enjoyed this book! It was such an interesting read with a good plot and premise as well as some really great characters and character development!
The writing was invigorating and really enjoyable that I just could barely stop reading and flipping through, one page after another! I think this is a must read for anyone that loves retellings (like me!) especially if you are looking for a Snow White retelling.
It's a dark fantasy with romance of course! I also found the heroine to be quite strong which is something I really enjoyed.
The writing was invigorating and really enjoyable that I just could barely stop reading and flipping through, one page after another! I think this is a must read for anyone that loves retellings (like me!) especially if you are looking for a Snow White retelling.
It's a dark fantasy with romance of course! I also found the heroine to be quite strong which is something I really enjoyed.
August 7, 2022
This was a beautifully done fairy tale retelling, it does what I enjoyed about the original tale and was able to make it something new. I always enjoy reading books from Silvana G. Sánchez, she has a great writing style and sympathetic characters. I can't wait to read more in the Cursed Kingdoms series and more from Ms. Sanchez.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 20, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It's ironic. Snow White is my least favorite fairy tale but I tend to read Snow White retellings the most besides Beauty and the Beast. I was really excited to read this book. I thought the premise was really interesting. Unfortunately, this just didn't do it for me.
I thought the pacing was just way too fast. So many things kept happening that I just stopped being surprised. I feel that the author did not give us enough time to savor or take in some of the elements they threw at us. I also thought the romance was way too fast. It made me not feel like there was no chemistry at all. The spicy 18+ scenes were, in my opinion, poorly written as well. I wasn't expecting erotica or anything but I ended up just skimming through them. I love me some spicy scenes but in this case, I think it would have been better if it faded out with the implications of what was happening.
The characters weren't bad. I did really enjoy the Seven a lot. I just wished they were more developed. After reading the entire book I feel like I know next to nothing about their personalities besides little quirks. Snow was a bit disappointing as well. Based on the first line in the synopsis and the fact we're told in the first chapter that she's one of the main reasons Aurora is cursed, I expected her to be this morally grey badass. Instead, it felt like she never had a plan and was just bumbling about. I guess I wished she was more on top of things as that would have made things more interesting. I will say I really did like Ash as a character. I found him interesting and I do think he was a good balance to Snow's personality.
Overall, as much as I have critiqued this it was an okay read. I can see where the author was trying to go with this story. I think mainly if the pacing was fixed, I would have really enjoyed the book.
It's ironic. Snow White is my least favorite fairy tale but I tend to read Snow White retellings the most besides Beauty and the Beast. I was really excited to read this book. I thought the premise was really interesting. Unfortunately, this just didn't do it for me.
I thought the pacing was just way too fast. So many things kept happening that I just stopped being surprised. I feel that the author did not give us enough time to savor or take in some of the elements they threw at us. I also thought the romance was way too fast. It made me not feel like there was no chemistry at all. The spicy 18+ scenes were, in my opinion, poorly written as well. I wasn't expecting erotica or anything but I ended up just skimming through them. I love me some spicy scenes but in this case, I think it would have been better if it faded out with the implications of what was happening.
The characters weren't bad. I did really enjoy the Seven a lot. I just wished they were more developed. After reading the entire book I feel like I know next to nothing about their personalities besides little quirks. Snow was a bit disappointing as well. Based on the first line in the synopsis and the fact we're told in the first chapter that she's one of the main reasons Aurora is cursed, I expected her to be this morally grey badass. Instead, it felt like she never had a plan and was just bumbling about. I guess I wished she was more on top of things as that would have made things more interesting. I will say I really did like Ash as a character. I found him interesting and I do think he was a good balance to Snow's personality.
Overall, as much as I have critiqued this it was an okay read. I can see where the author was trying to go with this story. I think mainly if the pacing was fixed, I would have really enjoyed the book.
October 17, 2022
Actual rating 3.5 ⭐!
This is a retelling story of Snow White and Seven Dwarfs. But here, the dwarfs actually become mages.
Everything happens fast in this book. Starting from the misfortune that will be experienced by Snow until he finally meets the mages. This fast-paced storyline made me excited to follow the conflict that the author wanted to convey.
The world itself is beautiful and detailed. It is not difficult to follow the world building because it is very well depicted. The conflict raised is actually quite ordinary, because it wants to fight the Evil Queen and lacks the element of surprise. The end result is quite predictable, but I love the final war moments between Snow, Ash and the Evil Queen. Even the author also gives a little tension at the end of the story which makes the plot interesting at the end.
For this book, it can actually be said that the story is finished, but since this is the first book, it is likely that the second book will continue with Ash's story.
The characters' relationships are also interesting to follow, these mages really care about Snow and Ash, I like watching them fight for these 2 people. However, Snow and Ash's relationship made little sense to me. They suddenly became attracted to each other without having the intensity of being together for a long time, I was confused as to why they suddenly fell in love with each other. Indeed their relationship after that was very sweet and I liked them both, but still the way they fell in love that made no sense to me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a retelling story of Snow White and Seven Dwarfs. But here, the dwarfs actually become mages.
Everything happens fast in this book. Starting from the misfortune that will be experienced by Snow until he finally meets the mages. This fast-paced storyline made me excited to follow the conflict that the author wanted to convey.
The world itself is beautiful and detailed. It is not difficult to follow the world building because it is very well depicted. The conflict raised is actually quite ordinary, because it wants to fight the Evil Queen and lacks the element of surprise. The end result is quite predictable, but I love the final war moments between Snow, Ash and the Evil Queen. Even the author also gives a little tension at the end of the story which makes the plot interesting at the end.
For this book, it can actually be said that the story is finished, but since this is the first book, it is likely that the second book will continue with Ash's story.
The characters' relationships are also interesting to follow, these mages really care about Snow and Ash, I like watching them fight for these 2 people. However, Snow and Ash's relationship made little sense to me. They suddenly became attracted to each other without having the intensity of being together for a long time, I was confused as to why they suddenly fell in love with each other. Indeed their relationship after that was very sweet and I liked them both, but still the way they fell in love that made no sense to me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 22, 2022
I believe the author and the publisher are willing to provide me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Ash and Snow is a retelling of Snow White, and it's the first book in a new series. There is a small amount of spice in the story. Snow White is still a runaway princess because while she's running away, she runs into trouble and a cursed prince, who then takes care of her with the help of seven majors rather than the seven dwarves in the original fairy tale. I liked the world-building. It was beautiful and detailed, and it was easy to follow without being overly info-dumpy. It has good character work and is fast-paced. The evil queen, AKA, is her stepmother, who has also been an evil queen in other lands, so it is a good start to a new series with depth and a rich potential to grow further. I highly recommend checking it out. The writing style was rich with atmosphere and flowed well. I was intrigued to continue going, and I have found a new indie author to follow.
October 24, 2022
This Snow-White retelling was fast paced and offered great world building that makes this story feel different than the one we know. This one offered a little spice which was a bit weird considering it read like a young adult book. The characters were not ones I could connect with, and I even hated Snow the majority of the book. Snow should have been a morally grey character based on how she was set up to be, but she didn't feel like one. I struggled rating this one because it wasn't a terrible book, but I didn't feel like this book knew what it wanted to be.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 14, 2022
I have to be honest here. I'm a little tired of Snow White retellings. Especially because all the movies I've seen are EXACTLY THE SAME. So I was a little hesitant to get this advanced reader copy. But it was free, so I thought "why not?" And I was BLOWN. AWAY. I have never read a book that reminded me so much of the Throne of Glass world and I ATE. IT. UP. The mages, sorceresses, fae, pixies, shifters, and trolls all came together so excellently and I was deeply immersed in this world. When can I have the next one??
August 8, 2022
I could not stop reading this book once it began with it's dark overtones and the most evil Evil Queen that I have experienced in my reading. As the story went on, there were classic elements of the traditional Snow White along with an unforgettable classic shifter moment! Ashton and Snow braved everything set in their path. The title Ash and Snow has meaning on two levels as the story evolves. So glad that I chose to read this book, and welcome many more twisted fairytales from this author!
October 24, 2023
Absolutely loved this. I love Silvana's writing style and story pacing. This adult Snow White retelling was just the right amount of fun, romance, and adventure.
If you're looking for a book with:
💛Adult Dark Fantasy
💛Snow White retelling
💛Steamy shifter romance
💛Magical mayhem
💛Anti-hero MMC
💛Strong heroine FMC
💛Fated mates
then this is for you!
Tysm, Silvana, for the review copy.
If you're looking for a book with:
💛Adult Dark Fantasy
💛Snow White retelling
💛Steamy shifter romance
💛Magical mayhem
💛Anti-hero MMC
💛Strong heroine FMC
💛Fated mates
then this is for you!
Tysm, Silvana, for the review copy.
January 28, 2024
Super good twist on some classic fairytale characters. Had a little bit of spice and a really good story line. Definitely a good read!
November 7, 2022
This was an amazing retelling of the classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Snow, evil queen, the seven, this has it all, even a dragon. I enjoyed every minute of this book, the ups and the downs, the happy and the sad moments.
There is love, loss, and so much more. A little fae thrown in and you have the perfect story for the ages. I am new to Silvana's writings, but I will be checking more of her work out.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There is love, loss, and so much more. A little fae thrown in and you have the perfect story for the ages. I am new to Silvana's writings, but I will be checking more of her work out.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 23, 2022
I have always disliked the Disney version of Snow White. She runs away, hides in the woods, and then is saved by a prince who barely does any more than she does in the rescuing department. This version adds much more depth to the characters and makes Snow an actual person instead of a damsel waiting for someone to save her.
Snow's father is getting married and she is not happy about it. So, after distracting herself with Prince Philip (this small addition is also hilarious and I would love to see an expansion of Philip and Aurora in this world as well), she goes to see her father after the wedding. This trap results in the death of the King and Snow's fleeing escape from the palace. She later meets The Seven, who are mages instead of dwarves, and they along with some other friends, as well as another royal distancing himself from his kingdom, go back to save her kingdom from the Evil Queen and reclaim her throne.
Snow's father is getting married and she is not happy about it. So, after distracting herself with Prince Philip (this small addition is also hilarious and I would love to see an expansion of Philip and Aurora in this world as well), she goes to see her father after the wedding. This trap results in the death of the King and Snow's fleeing escape from the palace. She later meets The Seven, who are mages instead of dwarves, and they along with some other friends, as well as another royal distancing himself from his kingdom, go back to save her kingdom from the Evil Queen and reclaim her throne.
October 26, 2022
A retelling of Snow White. Maleath Snow is on the run from, the Evil Queen after her father’s death. Maleath feels deep down that she knows the real truth of her father’s death. While on the run from the queen, she has to find a way to reclaim the throne. An imaginative retelling of this fairytale, with added suspense and mystery.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 24, 2024
Snow White retelling
What an excellent play on the tale of Snow White. I enjoyed this book greatly although I have some gripe. One would be that the love between the main characters came about too swiftly with no angst or lead up. It was a little lackluster, in my opinion. I also thought the magic system was... underdeveloped. There just wasn't enough magic for me with the use of seven male mages living together. The banter was cute, but I would have liked some testosterone induced magical explosions to add to the mix. I wish there character development would have been a little more. The plot otherwise was excellent with some unique twists. I just wish I could have savored each section off the book longer. This book has a fast paced, quick (too fast?) plot that leaves you wondering how things will progress for the next book. If you like retellings, this is a good one!
What an excellent play on the tale of Snow White. I enjoyed this book greatly although I have some gripe. One would be that the love between the main characters came about too swiftly with no angst or lead up. It was a little lackluster, in my opinion. I also thought the magic system was... underdeveloped. There just wasn't enough magic for me with the use of seven male mages living together. The banter was cute, but I would have liked some testosterone induced magical explosions to add to the mix. I wish there character development would have been a little more. The plot otherwise was excellent with some unique twists. I just wish I could have savored each section off the book longer. This book has a fast paced, quick (too fast?) plot that leaves you wondering how things will progress for the next book. If you like retellings, this is a good one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2023
(2.5 ⭐️) I feel really bad rating this because I think this just wasn’t for me. Yes, objectively the pacing was quite off and there was really no development for any of the characters, but this was a fine story. I could definitely see people enjoying this a lot, but I just didn’t. I found the writing to be very juvenile, like early-2000s cliche YA, but with an urge to be super edgy by including sex scenes and implied gore. If you’re someone who really enjoys that writing style, then you should definitely pick this up. I’m just not that person and I want a very different experience when reading fantasy.
***I received an ARC from BookSirens for free and am leaving an honest review***
***I received an ARC from BookSirens for free and am leaving an honest review***
August 15, 2022
Ash and Snow
A Snow White retelling with seven mages where Snow fights to reclaim her throne and the heart of a prince. Sounds like it could be a lot of fun. Let’s find out!
Ready if you like: fast-paced fantasy, high fantasy, dark fantasy, fairytale retellings, whimsical storytelling, steamy romance with just a bit of spice.
Maleath Snow is the only heir to Whitehall and she’s running for her life. After being framed by the Evil Queen, aka her stepmother, Maleath has to flee her homeland before the queen can catch her and take her heart. Maleath’s only hope is to hide and she finds herself in the land of the fae at the mercy of The Seven. A band of mages banished from their lands, The Seven and their ward, a runaway prince, might be the only hope Maleath has defeating the Evil Queen and reclaiming her rightful place on the throne.
This book was so fast-paced that you didn’t have much time to wonder about anything before getting answers. That’s generally a plus, but this is so straightforward that before any tension can build, you’re at a resolution and next step in the plot. I wanted to like this book so much, but we never get enough time to really get settled in the storyline.
It starts out with a flippant and racy princess brooding about her new stepmother and then we just get directly into the Evil Queen’s plot and it just keeps driving forward from there. For starting out with such a steamy scene, there isn’t a lot of spice on the page. I was expecting more, but we get a lot of insta-lust and dreamy thoughts about the prince. There were some introspective times for Maleath and those were fairly well done but mostly we get linearly defined scene progression. Something just happened… it probably relates directly to whatever they just did in the last chapter, no big twists no surprises just onward to the end.
As much as we could have had more space in the plot, it’s not my biggest issue. The writing feels overworked. It has a high fantasy tone that is sometimes in opposition to the whimsical, animated fairytale feel. What we end up with is a lot of repetition of fancy words and clunky, stylized prose. This was a huge stumbling block for me. If the style was more consistent and less focused on trying to be extravagant then the story could shine through and have space for the characters to grow.
Overall, if you want a high fantasy fairytale, that’s very fast-paced and straightforward, and feels fancy yet familiar with just a little bit of adult spice then you’ll probably love this book. I’ll give it 2.5 stars, rounding to 3 because I did like the retelling aspects and character dynamics.
Thank you to BookSirens and Silvana G. Sanchez for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
A Snow White retelling with seven mages where Snow fights to reclaim her throne and the heart of a prince. Sounds like it could be a lot of fun. Let’s find out!
Ready if you like: fast-paced fantasy, high fantasy, dark fantasy, fairytale retellings, whimsical storytelling, steamy romance with just a bit of spice.
Maleath Snow is the only heir to Whitehall and she’s running for her life. After being framed by the Evil Queen, aka her stepmother, Maleath has to flee her homeland before the queen can catch her and take her heart. Maleath’s only hope is to hide and she finds herself in the land of the fae at the mercy of The Seven. A band of mages banished from their lands, The Seven and their ward, a runaway prince, might be the only hope Maleath has defeating the Evil Queen and reclaiming her rightful place on the throne.
This book was so fast-paced that you didn’t have much time to wonder about anything before getting answers. That’s generally a plus, but this is so straightforward that before any tension can build, you’re at a resolution and next step in the plot. I wanted to like this book so much, but we never get enough time to really get settled in the storyline.
It starts out with a flippant and racy princess brooding about her new stepmother and then we just get directly into the Evil Queen’s plot and it just keeps driving forward from there. For starting out with such a steamy scene, there isn’t a lot of spice on the page. I was expecting more, but we get a lot of insta-lust and dreamy thoughts about the prince. There were some introspective times for Maleath and those were fairly well done but mostly we get linearly defined scene progression. Something just happened… it probably relates directly to whatever they just did in the last chapter, no big twists no surprises just onward to the end.
As much as we could have had more space in the plot, it’s not my biggest issue. The writing feels overworked. It has a high fantasy tone that is sometimes in opposition to the whimsical, animated fairytale feel. What we end up with is a lot of repetition of fancy words and clunky, stylized prose. This was a huge stumbling block for me. If the style was more consistent and less focused on trying to be extravagant then the story could shine through and have space for the characters to grow.
Overall, if you want a high fantasy fairytale, that’s very fast-paced and straightforward, and feels fancy yet familiar with just a little bit of adult spice then you’ll probably love this book. I’ll give it 2.5 stars, rounding to 3 because I did like the retelling aspects and character dynamics.
Thank you to BookSirens and Silvana G. Sanchez for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 14, 2022
Before starting this review, I do want to disclose that I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This review will be my honest opinion.
If I'm being honest, my feelings on this book can be best summarized as a rollercoaster of emotions. And up until the last 10% of the book, I was convinced my rating on it would be 3.5 stars, however, I think a solid 4 stars is a better rating.
Starting with what I liked, the characters, the relationships and the feelings this story evoked. I am a sucker for the found family trope, so I was so happy to see that this book had it and that it was executed beautifully.
Maleath Snow was a pretty good protagonist. I wish I would have seen more character development for her though. I feel like as a character, she went through her journey but her character remained the same? No growth, no oomph. Just a good conclusion to her story. I did enjoy her character though. However, I feel like the development was lacking a bit.
Ash, I adore him. He's an adorable cinnamon roll and I just wanted to hug him and protect him from the world. Again, we got to know Ash like with did Snow, but no real development happened for him either. I won't give spoilers, however, his story was definitely underdeveloped and I feel like he should have been more than Snow's "Sword".
The Seven? MY BABIES. Akron, Thuriad, Millindrel, Essgard, Romni, Leander, ALL of them stole my heart and gave me such a warm, fuzzy feeling that made me feel cozy and safe. Seriously, just reading the parts that included them made me have the biggest smile on my face and I feel like their ending was perfect for them.
Now moving to the things that made me feel iffy on this book. The romance in this book between the main characters definitely felt rushed, and I understand it in a way since this book was fast paced and an easy read. However, I feel like there could have been more build up to their love story. At times, it felt like it was just thrown together in a way. Like we just grabbed the two main characters and yelled, "NOW KISS!" The fact that they were adorable together made up for it in a way but like I said, more build up, more yearning, more falling in love moments should have happened in my opinion.
Did I see some "plot twists" coming? Yes, I did. Did some other parts have me going like, "WHAT IS GOING ON??" Yes to that too. Part of the ending had me sobbing, so it definitely will have you feeling everything. In the end, it was an easy and quick read and I did enjoy it. I do think you should give it a shot if you are on the fence on giving it a chance!
If I'm being honest, my feelings on this book can be best summarized as a rollercoaster of emotions. And up until the last 10% of the book, I was convinced my rating on it would be 3.5 stars, however, I think a solid 4 stars is a better rating.
Starting with what I liked, the characters, the relationships and the feelings this story evoked. I am a sucker for the found family trope, so I was so happy to see that this book had it and that it was executed beautifully.
Maleath Snow was a pretty good protagonist. I wish I would have seen more character development for her though. I feel like as a character, she went through her journey but her character remained the same? No growth, no oomph. Just a good conclusion to her story. I did enjoy her character though. However, I feel like the development was lacking a bit.
Ash, I adore him. He's an adorable cinnamon roll and I just wanted to hug him and protect him from the world. Again, we got to know Ash like with did Snow, but no real development happened for him either. I won't give spoilers, however, his story was definitely underdeveloped and I feel like he should have been more than Snow's "Sword".
The Seven? MY BABIES. Akron, Thuriad, Millindrel, Essgard, Romni, Leander, ALL of them stole my heart and gave me such a warm, fuzzy feeling that made me feel cozy and safe. Seriously, just reading the parts that included them made me have the biggest smile on my face and I feel like their ending was perfect for them.
Now moving to the things that made me feel iffy on this book. The romance in this book between the main characters definitely felt rushed, and I understand it in a way since this book was fast paced and an easy read. However, I feel like there could have been more build up to their love story. At times, it felt like it was just thrown together in a way. Like we just grabbed the two main characters and yelled, "NOW KISS!" The fact that they were adorable together made up for it in a way but like I said, more build up, more yearning, more falling in love moments should have happened in my opinion.
Did I see some "plot twists" coming? Yes, I did. Did some other parts have me going like, "WHAT IS GOING ON??" Yes to that too. Part of the ending had me sobbing, so it definitely will have you feeling everything. In the end, it was an easy and quick read and I did enjoy it. I do think you should give it a shot if you are on the fence on giving it a chance!
January 6, 2023
Ash and Snow By Silvana G. Sánchez
Cursed Kingdoms #1
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you, Silvana G. and Book Sirens. This beautifully written fairy tale retelling was a real treat to read for the ARC book. What I liked about the original story could be taken from it and made into something new.
I always enjoy reading Silvana G.'s books. She writes with great style, and her characters are likeable. I can't wait to read more from Ms. Sanchez's Cursed Kingdoms series and other works.
A stunning new adult novel, Ash and Snow is a fairytale retelling of Snow White. I really enjoyed a lot of the aspects of this story. Snow is the story's main character and a skilled combatant. Even though she is weak, she has some measure of protection. Although she doesn't have absolute power, she can still hold her own. The "prince" learns that Ash even has a personality after spending time with Snow. The sorcerers known as the "Seven Dwarves" are not small. Snow genuinely cares about her realm's inhabitants. She believes she should be queen, not because it is her birthright but because her people need someone to watch out for them. This fairytale retelling is flawless and original.
The world is both lovely and challenging. It is very easy to understand how the world is put together because it is so well illustrated. The final fight scenes between Snow, Ash, and the Evil Queen were entertaining, even though the outcome was obvious.
Though technically only the first, this book's story has come to an end, but I am so excited for the second one because Ash's story is most likely not done.
Anyone who likes dark fantasy romance or retellings of fairytales should definitely read it.
Until next time,
Happy Reading,
Mysterious Shy 🤓
Cursed Kingdoms #1
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you, Silvana G. and Book Sirens. This beautifully written fairy tale retelling was a real treat to read for the ARC book. What I liked about the original story could be taken from it and made into something new.
I always enjoy reading Silvana G.'s books. She writes with great style, and her characters are likeable. I can't wait to read more from Ms. Sanchez's Cursed Kingdoms series and other works.
A stunning new adult novel, Ash and Snow is a fairytale retelling of Snow White. I really enjoyed a lot of the aspects of this story. Snow is the story's main character and a skilled combatant. Even though she is weak, she has some measure of protection. Although she doesn't have absolute power, she can still hold her own. The "prince" learns that Ash even has a personality after spending time with Snow. The sorcerers known as the "Seven Dwarves" are not small. Snow genuinely cares about her realm's inhabitants. She believes she should be queen, not because it is her birthright but because her people need someone to watch out for them. This fairytale retelling is flawless and original.
The world is both lovely and challenging. It is very easy to understand how the world is put together because it is so well illustrated. The final fight scenes between Snow, Ash, and the Evil Queen were entertaining, even though the outcome was obvious.
Though technically only the first, this book's story has come to an end, but I am so excited for the second one because Ash's story is most likely not done.
Anyone who likes dark fantasy romance or retellings of fairytales should definitely read it.
Until next time,
Happy Reading,
Mysterious Shy 🤓
January 16, 2024
Fairy tale retellings are not typically my favorite fare because I don’t like it when the author compulsively matches the source material beat-for-beat. It often feels like I’m reading a story I’ve already heard, but with different set dressing. Not so with this book. The author managed to weave an interesting and none-too-predictable story that still has Snow White vibes, but isn’t so literal as to be dull.
The prose and characterization are standout parts of this book for me. The story covers a lot of ground without dragging, and I attribute that to masterful exposition, building on what we know over time as new parts of the world are revealed. The scene-setting is often gorgeous, sometimes gory, always with an intriguing vocabulary, only occasionally veering into “purple prose” territory.
The Evil Queen is the most interesting character in this book by far, with new aspects of her character slowly revealed over time, but I’m not sure the ending did justice to her character’s journey, and I’d be curious to see that expanded going into book 2.
The romance was the weakest part of the plot for me; I never really connected with the couple’s journey. It was hard for me to feel their feelings, especially MMC, who seemed emotionally distant throughout the book, and although I was rooting for the FMC to succeed, her other issues seemed to eclipse the romance. The book could’ve done without it, I’ll admit.
The prose and characterization are standout parts of this book for me. The story covers a lot of ground without dragging, and I attribute that to masterful exposition, building on what we know over time as new parts of the world are revealed. The scene-setting is often gorgeous, sometimes gory, always with an intriguing vocabulary, only occasionally veering into “purple prose” territory.
The Evil Queen is the most interesting character in this book by far, with new aspects of her character slowly revealed over time, but I’m not sure the ending did justice to her character’s journey, and I’d be curious to see that expanded going into book 2.
The romance was the weakest part of the plot for me; I never really connected with the couple’s journey. It was hard for me to feel their feelings, especially MMC, who seemed emotionally distant throughout the book, and although I was rooting for the FMC to succeed, her other issues seemed to eclipse the romance. The book could’ve done without it, I’ll admit.
October 20, 2022
Thank you to the author and Book Sirens for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ash and Snow is a fairytale retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, featuring a runaway princess and cursed prince and seven powerful mages. The story starts with the Evil Queen betraying Maleath Snow and her going on the run in attempts to save her kingdom and her people.
The premise of this story is a very original take on the classic tale of Snow White. Retellings tend to all be very similar but this one felt like an entirely new story. The world building could have been more extensive, but the characters are all written very well. They are intriguing and all have very individual personalities. In fact, the characters were my favorite part of this read. The story is very fast paced with lots of twists and turns, and wraps up with a happy ever after.
I liked this story but was not blown away. This was sold as a spicy fantasy romance, and while there was romance and a small bit of spice, there wasn’t as much as expected. I think this story would better fit a YA label, or at least upper YA.
Overall, fans of YA fairytale retellings will enjoy this book and if that’s you, definitely give it a chance!
January 1, 2024
I almost never DNF a book, but it became apparent halfway through that the quality wasn't looking up, so I jumped ship. I find fantasy retellings to be enthralling, but the main character Maleath, portrayed as Snow White, is completely unlikable. She jumps the bones of any hot prince she sees. She's overly confident and makes very impulsive decisions. Not to mention she's beyond bland personality wise.
By far the worst part of the book is the author's ability to say so much, as dramatically as possible, without saying anything of substance. It's tele novella level writing with the enjoyment sucked right out of it. The pacing in the book is too fast. You can't appreciate many of the characters because the relationships between them are instant. It's also hard to care about what's happened to them because the story jumps from one dramatic thing to the next. At the beginning, there was an adulterous sex scene and a murder/betrayal that were done so poorly that I didn't even care. Which in my opinion is saying a lot, because the shock factor of those two things usually are hard to mess up.
I did enjoy the banter between the secondary characters known as The Seven. But those scenes were so far and few between, it couldn't save the story as a whole.
By far the worst part of the book is the author's ability to say so much, as dramatically as possible, without saying anything of substance. It's tele novella level writing with the enjoyment sucked right out of it. The pacing in the book is too fast. You can't appreciate many of the characters because the relationships between them are instant. It's also hard to care about what's happened to them because the story jumps from one dramatic thing to the next. At the beginning, there was an adulterous sex scene and a murder/betrayal that were done so poorly that I didn't even care. Which in my opinion is saying a lot, because the shock factor of those two things usually are hard to mess up.
I did enjoy the banter between the secondary characters known as The Seven. But those scenes were so far and few between, it couldn't save the story as a whole.
February 14, 2024
I'm sad to say I'm dropping this read at 61%, it gets 1 ⭐ because the idea was good, I'm all for retelling of classics and I was really interested in this version of Snow White, however the delivery, in my opinion was extremely poor.
It does feel very YA style, there's not enough world building or chemistry building between our MC.
There are a lot of situations that are blown out of proportion like when the mages are upset she lied and blamed her for the amount of people that died, mind you she was there for 3 days and there were only 2 murders, and they are in shock as if she lied for weeks and were a crazy amount of people dead. The MC met, there's like a little sparkle the first night and after a day where she feels tension because he is avoiding her they fall in love as if they meet weeks ago, I understand that is fantasy and most times the time frame gets rushed a little but 3 days!? That's an extra fast burn. It would have been fine if it started only as physical attraction and then became love, but I couldn't get past this.
I felt drama was used to emphasize things but it only hurt the story.
I pushed myself to keep on reading but I have to quit, I'm just not feeling it at all.
It does feel very YA style, there's not enough world building or chemistry building between our MC.
There are a lot of situations that are blown out of proportion like when the mages are upset she lied and blamed her for the amount of people that died, mind you she was there for 3 days and there were only 2 murders, and they are in shock as if she lied for weeks and were a crazy amount of people dead. The MC met, there's like a little sparkle the first night and after a day where she feels tension because he is avoiding her they fall in love as if they meet weeks ago, I understand that is fantasy and most times the time frame gets rushed a little but 3 days!? That's an extra fast burn. It would have been fine if it started only as physical attraction and then became love, but I couldn't get past this.
I felt drama was used to emphasize things but it only hurt the story.
I pushed myself to keep on reading but I have to quit, I'm just not feeling it at all.
August 21, 2022
I love a fairytale retelling and Snow White is probably one of my favorites, so when I saw this I had to read it.
Maleath Snow is on the run after being framed for a murder by her stepmother, the Evil Queen. She flees to the Fae world, where she finds The Seven, a group of mages who were banished from their lands and their ward, a Prince.
This book actually took me awhile to get into due to the overly flowery writing style of the author. It almost took away from the story at times as I had to sift my way through all the prose. I know some people like this type of writing style, but I think it just isn't for me.
I did love how fast past the story was and all of the mythical creatures. I also loved the Seven. The plot isn't overly complicated and I saw all the twists coming, but it overall was a fun and quick read.
Overall this book was pretty good. If you enjoy a fairytale retelling that is fast paced with lot of fantasy creatures this one is for you.
I received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Maleath Snow is on the run after being framed for a murder by her stepmother, the Evil Queen. She flees to the Fae world, where she finds The Seven, a group of mages who were banished from their lands and their ward, a Prince.
This book actually took me awhile to get into due to the overly flowery writing style of the author. It almost took away from the story at times as I had to sift my way through all the prose. I know some people like this type of writing style, but I think it just isn't for me.
I did love how fast past the story was and all of the mythical creatures. I also loved the Seven. The plot isn't overly complicated and I saw all the twists coming, but it overall was a fun and quick read.
Overall this book was pretty good. If you enjoy a fairytale retelling that is fast paced with lot of fantasy creatures this one is for you.
I received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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